Our bodies have their own priorities. For instance, the body will extract nutrients to keep you alive by any means necessary, often making tough compromises along the way.

This would be sort of like the Ferrari suddenly driving itself to the gas station and holding up the cashier until it gets what it needs, or cannibalizing its own headlights for fuel.

What’s more, your body isn’t even completely “human”.

Much of our digestion and nutrient extraction is done by the trillions of microbial critters living in and on us.

Analysis of our bacterial environments shows that each of us has an individual gut flora “microbiome”, like a fingerprint. Changing our microbiome changes our digestion and absorption, and hence our body composition and health.

It’s really quite amazing. Each molecule of food contributes to a beautiful cascade of events, sending all kinds of signals throughout our bodies.

Make hormones! Trigger immune cells! Switch genes on and off! Tell the work crew to clean up and the builders to get on standby!

Lights! Camera! Action!

It’s like the biggest, busiest movie set you can imagine. And somehow — unlike many film sets — it runs almost perfectly.

Our bodies process millions of calories and (let’s be scientific about this) zillions of chemical compounds a year, with nearly 100% efficiency. (Just for comparison, gas-powered engines, like our Ferrari, would be happy to hit 30% efficiency.)

Even cooler, our thoughts, feelings, and environment can affect these processes.

If we smell a tasty meal, have a positive or negative thought about food (or anything else), are happy and relaxed or worried and rushing… it affects nutrient processing.

But let’s start by looking at what happens when we actually consume food.

As we eat, our bodies sense incoming nutrients, and send signals to our brain to let it know what is coming in.

Here are just a few examples of the different messages food delivers.

The carb story

When we eat carbohydrates — it doesn’t matter which type — our blood sugar goes up. Almost all carbohydrates — from sugars to starches — are broken down to the same thing: glucose.

These molecules then tell your pancreas to release the hormone insulin.

Grabbing the chemical note and running with it, insulin prepares the rest of your body for the glucose that’s about to appear. Muscle, brain, and fat cells open their mailboxes and get ready to take in the glucose delivery.

Your pancreas then releases other stuff — like somatostatin and amylin — to tell your brain that there’s incoming food.

The more messages, and the more they keep coming (i.e. the higher these chemicals rise and/or the longer they stay elevated), the more your brain believes that you’ve had enough food. (Kinda like when you’re drowning in e-mail and want to yell, “Enough!“)

Here, food is information. It’s communication. It’s a set of instructions that you give your body to accomplish amazing things.

Here’s another example.

The protein and fat story

Proteins and fats also spin a good yarn.

When they’re broken down, their “messages” tell the gut to release a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK).

CCK tells the pancreas to make certain enzymes that help digest the chicken wings now sitting in your small intestine.

But CCK is talkative, so it likes to keep sending messages.

It tells the gallbladder to release bile (which helps with fat digestion and absorption). It tells the brain you’ve had enough to eat.

And while it’s popped in on the brain, CCK stays for a little chat with other neurotransmitter systems in the brain, such as the endocanabinoid system, which is involved in pain management and mood.

Talk amongst yourselves, cells

Digestion is just the story’s introduction. When these digested food compounds reach our cells, oy — the communication racket.

Cells put protein components (peptides and amino acids) to work making hormones, enzymes, structural proteins, and of course, building muscle.

Fat components (triglycerides and free fatty acids) are used to make hormones and become integrated into our cell membranes. They control inflammation pathways.

Carbohydrate components (glucose and fructose) are used to maintain proper hormone status (such as thyroid, testosterone, and leptin to a degree).

These responses are simply for incoming macronutrients.

Micronutrients, phytochemicals and zoochemicals also carry their own messages and communicate other unique information to the body.

Some tell the body to boost our own natural antioxidant defense systems.

Others help our antioxidant defense systems do their job.

Some tell the body to make enzymes that devour cancer.

Others attack cancer directly.

Some stick around in our intestines and protect us from damaging compounds.

This is essential information about ourselves, about our family and friends, and about our clients. It’s relevant. Crucial. Powerful, life-shaping knowledge.

That’s why, at Precision Nutrition, we aren’t just nutritionists. Or nutrition coaches.

(And we sure aren’t gas station jockeys helping you do the chore of tank-filling.)

We help you learn about — and celebrate — who you are through the lens of food and nutrition.

We help you create new food stories. More inspiring, joyful, and interesting stories. Stories that go beyond “dumping gas in the tank.”

We start with the science. And end with our shared humanity.

Time to create your food story.

So, take a few minutes and consider this question: What is food? For you?

Is it fuel? Is it information? Is it personal freedom? Is it shame? Is it self-esteem?

Then consider this question: What would you like food to be?

We encourage you to think big. Get imaginative. Learn a little more about physiology. Learn a little more about humanity. Discover what makes food one of the greatest stories ever told.

Because, at Precision Nutrition, food is a story. A story of the wonder of evolution and biology. A collective grand epic of our humanity. A chemical story written in molecules, not words.

It’s a story that shapes your daily life, your health, and your function.

Food is fuel? Uh, we don’t think so.

Want help with your food story?

If you’d like some help and support as you develop a new food story in your life, we’d be happy to help. In fact, we’ll soon be taking a group of new clients looking for the same thing, all as part of our Precision Nutrition Coaching program.

You see, we accept a very small number of new clients every 6 months, and the spots in the program typically sell out in hours. However, those motivated enough to put themselves on the presale list get to register 24 hours before everyone else.

(Plus, you’ll receive a big discount at registration.)

So put your name on the list below — because, as always, spots are first come, first served, and when they’re gone, they’re gone.

Get on the PN Coaching presale list today

If you're interested in Precision Nutrition Coaching, we strongly recommend you join the presale list below. Choose your program and add your name to the list. We'll send you more about the program and give you the chance to register 24 hours before everyone else. You'll also get our lowest price ever — $97 USD per month — a 45% savings off the general public price.